The Heights Primary School: the EFA offers £1 million sweetener

The Education Funding Agency is offering £1.36 million for the Mapledurham Playing Fields land and pavilion upgrade

by Linda Fort

11:30, 30 Jun 2016Updated18:24, 30 Jun 2016

Mapledurham Playing Fields - the EFA wants to build The Heights Primary School in the most northerly part of the 22-acre site near Little Woodcote Close

The Education Funding Agency has submitted its proposal to buy a portion of Mapledurham Playing Fields to build The Heights Primary school.

It has sweetened the pill with an offer to pay for improvements to the pitches and pavilion for the use of the community.

Reading Borough Council’s The Heights Free School Sub Committee - set up to act on behalf of the charitable trust which owns the playing fields - will consider the EFA’s proposal at its meeting on Tuesday, July 12.

The EFA chose Mapledurham Playing Fields as the site for the new school after a public consultation in which it was supported by a substantial majority over four alternative sites.

A spokeswoman for The Heights Trust issued the following statement on Thursday, June 30: “We are delighted that such a positive offer has been put to the charitable trust that own Mapledurham Playing Fields to purchase a part of the site as the permanent home for this new and aspiring school.

“It has always been our ambition to reach a solution that brings both an excellent and much-needed school for local families to the community but which also supports the sports and leisure usage of the site.

“An offer of £1.36m will enable the charitable trust to make some much needed improvements to the sports and leisure facilities on the site, including the repair and reopening of the pavilion and improved football pitch facilities.

“This sits alongside the already planned multi-use games area, suitable for five a side football, netball and cricket practice and the school hall, suitable for meetings and activities such as yoga and aerobics, both of which will be available for community use outside of school hours."

The Education Funding Agency plan for The Heights School on Mapledurham Playing Fields

It goes on: “This represents an excellent ‘win win’ for all those with an interest in the site.

“We hope that we can all ow move forward and focus on turning Mapledurham Playing Fields into a dynamic learning, sports and leisure ‘community hub’ for all.”